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French gendarmes search for evidences in the forest on August 29, 2017 in the area around Pont-de-Beauvoisin, eastern france, after Maelys, a 9-year-old girl, disappeared during a wedding party two days ago. - AFP
French gendarmes search for evidences in the forest on August 29, 2017 in the area around Pont-de-Beauvoisin, eastern france, after Maelys, a 9-year-old girl, disappeared during a wedding party two days ago. - AFP

Girl 'just got into my car', claims French wedding kidnap suspect

KUWAIT: The Saud Al-Nasser Al-Sabah Kuwaiti Diplomatic Institute hosted, on Tuesday, a workshop on “Enhancing Capabilities for Effective Verification and Prosecution of Terrorism Financing Cases and Implementing UN Security Council Sanctions.” The event was organized in cooperation with Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Speaking on the sidelines of the workshop, Kuwait’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Development and International Cooperation, Ambassador Hamad Al-Mashaan stated Kuwait has been implementing measures to combat terrorism and its financing as part of a series of actions taken in preparation for its evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

He added “We are intensifying workshops and awareness initiatives not only for Foreign Ministry employees but also for relevant entities such as banks and investment companies to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the matter.” Regarding the upcoming evaluation, Al-Mashaan said that Kuwait is in a one-year review phase, adding “We are currently improving laws, regulations, and procedures to align with international requirements. It is worth mentioning that we successfully passed the previous evaluation, and we remain optimistic about the outcome.”

Discussing a recent meeting with the Minister of Social Affairs, he explained “The meeting was a coordination effort between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which oversees charitable associations operating outside Kuwait, and the Ministry of Social Affairs, which regulates charities within the country. Our coordination ensures unified efforts and guarantees that all activities are conducted within the legal and regulatory framework.”

He emphasized that the discussion is to enhance procedures to facilitate the work of Kuwaiti charitable organizations while ensuring that donated funds reach their intended beneficiaries securely as well as keeping Kuwait’s international reputation. Al-Mashaan highlighted the increased participation in these workshops, saying “The previous workshop had around 300 participants, whereas today workshop witnessed over 500 attendees. We have facilitated participation through online to ensure the broadest possible engagement.”

He expressed deep appreciation to the UNODC team for their dedicated efforts in organizing this workshop as part of the ongoing collaboration between Kuwait and the UN office to explore new avenues of cooperation, noting “We hold this workshop amid worrying geopolitical developments in the region, where terrorist financing and arms proliferation activities are escalating, threatening security and stability and hindering efforts to achieve sustainable peace and development. This requires aligning national efforts with international counterterrorism and arms control standards.”

He stated “Kuwait is committed to maintaining security and peace and has a distinguished record in combating terrorism. The country continues to enhance its national capabilities, aligning its efforts with international initiatives. This underscores Kuwait’s dedication to bolstering intelligence capabilities and refining legal frameworks concerning targeted financial sanctions related to counterterrorism.”

In his virtual address during the workshop, Dr. Arturo Laurent, Program Officer for the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the UNODC, said that Kuwait has consistently demonstrated its commitment to combating terrorism financing by aligning its efforts with international best practices and strengthening its legal and regulatory frameworks, adding “The UNODC office in Kuwait continues to support countries in their fight against terrorism and promotes international cooperation and intelligence sharing to mitigate the growing threat.”

He stated “As terrorist networks adapt vulnerabilities in financial systems, it is essential for all stakeholders to remain vigilant and proactive in countering terrorism financing. Disrupting these financial flows is a key component of counterterrorism strategies, as terrorism continues to pose a global security challenge,” adding “Cooperation among ministries, financial institutions, and security agencies are crucial for developing an effective response to terrorism financing.”

For his turn, Ahmed Genidy, Counter Terrorism Specialist of UNODC in Austria, noted “There are several reasons why such agreements against financing terrorism are necessary. The surge in terrorist activities during the 1990s highlighted the importance of targeting financing as the lifeline of terrorist groups. At the time, existing national and international laws were inadequate in addressing this crime independently.

Additionally, there was a pressing need for broader international cooperation in tracking financial flows and enhancing legal assistance and information exchange.” He outlined some key provisions of the agreement, saying “Among the most significant measures are the obligation for states to criminalize terrorism financing, the freezing or confiscation of funds intended for terrorist acts, and the enhancement of international judicial cooperation to facilitate extradition and information sharing.”

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